Lifestyle smishstyle

So back in the good old days of this blog I mentioned a new lifestyle. I was all social justicey and "conscience" and too cool for school. And I am totally failing.

It started out so good, avoiding places that use child labour, not relying on plastics and buying plastics, keeping away from products tested on animals, composting my scraps, recycling everything, buying food grown locally and organically. Doing one of these things is not hard, but doing them all was just impossible. And I would start feeling really guilty when I noticed myself slipping back into consumerism and convenienceism.

I am really just not the activist type! I never planned on picketing outside Walmart cursing everyone for buying child made goods, or chaining myself to some lab monkey shouting "If you stab him with that needle you have to stab me too!" But I thought if just my little family made some positive changes, then we would be helping and possibly encouraging others and yay one family at a time we could save the world! Realizing my delusional fantasies over here.

Holy crap people this lifestyle is hard, but I think I went all OCD on it. That's so not like me. If I wasn't doing all those things completely and utterly in every aspect of my life then I was failing. So after some soul searching I realized I want to do these things because I am aware of certain issues (and I know I didn't even address half of them in my list there, like the diamond industry and the pharmaceutical companies and there is just SOOO much badness out there) and I will try to implement them in my life, but I am not going the let the guilt swallow me up anymore.

So yes Walmart uses child labour, but with our whole not being rich thing (when will that fix itself?) I need to find the lowest prices on stuff, and Walmart just happens to excel at that.

Plastic is evil, and I am doing lots to avoid it, like using reusable grocery bags, I don't even put produce in those little plastic baggies you pull out, which saves the ocean and avoids an embarrassing scene of me spending 20 minutes trying to figure out how the hell the stupid bag unfolds! But if I forget my bags in the trunk, I am not going to stop everyone to run to my car and get them to avoid bringing home one little plastic bag.

I still read all labels to check if products are tested on animals, and I am doing pretty good not having any animal tested stuff in my house. But I have weaknesses, Freebrez being one, Dove products being another, and I give in to those special needs and tell myself it was ugly chickens these products were tested on, not cute little puppies.

Calgary FINALLY has a recycling program, so reclycling is so easy now! So that's no biggy. Composting I have soo been slacking at, but really want to bring it back into my life,  but not going to be crazy over it.

Locally grown food....totally given up here. It is expensive and the lack of pesticides and preservatives make produce go bad so quick and blah. I watched that show, the 100 mile challenge and I was all inspired to start eating local again, and then I remembered why I stopped doing that, so hard, so expensive and just to hard with a baby (ohh using Ivy as an excuse, soo low of me!).

A baby? What I have one of those? You mean you don't come to this blog to listen to me rant about social issues and the environment? FINE!

By the way, this juicy baby of mine is measuring at a sweet 12lbs 7oz and 22inches long! 

Here is Ivy chilling out to Daddy's tunes (she is the blob on the ottoman over there). She loved singing along to the keyboard, it was quite cute!

Comments

[Jen]

I am kind of the same way. I've done some lifestyle changes, but I am taking it one step at a time.

[Danielle]

I recycle EVERYTHING! I've always been a recycler, though. I do use the reusable grocery bags and it helps that I get $.3 off per bag, I use. It isn't much, obviously but when I have 3 or 4 bags, it really adds up! I am conscious of what we out in and on our bodies, but I don't go all crazy with it. I do what I can with my resources and that's better then nothing!
Good work, hon!

[Ann Z]

The baby cheeks! The baby toes! She really is too cute.

You have to pick your battles, and do what you can. I too was going to really focus on eating local, and it isn't too hard in the summer, but like you guys, we have winter here, so there's really only so much you can do (and it's not like I'm going to give up coffee or chocolate).

[Mel]

You are far better than me. Focusing on living green would be impossible, I barely make it through life living the way I do. I recycle and that's about it. I could never stop shopping at Walmart, it is in some cases 1/2 the price of other stores. You can only do what you can do! And being OCD about anything isn't good, right? ;)
Your bebe is gorgeous. I want to smoosh her cheeks!

[Vee]

I think you deserve a pat on the back for trying. You do what you can do and be satisfied with that. You are aware so no doubt there will periods that you are better at it than other times.

OMG, those cheeks are just too cute !

[Danielle Melnyczenko]

I agree, pick your battles. We shop at Aldi and bring our own bags. I've also bought 2 net shopping bags for my nappy bag as they don't take up much space. We recycle and buy from our small local grocer, not all of its locally grown but a percentage is and that's good enough for me. Our poor deli closed down on the weekend so I'm really keen to keep supporting small business. Small steps are still steps you should be proud of. Ivy will pick them up and will most likely do even more... and by gosh she's a cutie!

[Meghan]

HEy yo do what you have to. I recycle everything I can as well but composting is beyond me so I use those compostable bags that I throw into the trash and they decompose. I even use them for dog stuff:p Buying local is great if you can but with kids...way too much. But I must admit I REALLY miss my garden!!! next year..sigh...maybe see you next week??